A pioneer in cold-chain logistics

BGL Nakliyat, based in Trabzon, Turkey, on the Black Sea coast, is one of the pioneers in refrigerated transport in the north-eastern region of the country. The firm has encouraged many local businesses to switch to refrigerated trailers. Like BGL Nakliyat, a number of them have opted for Schmitz Cargobull. “If you want to be successful in this business, you have to know your trade, love your job and inspire confidence in your customers,” says company owner Abdulkadir Kocaman. “When recruiting drivers, the first thing we ask is: ‘Do you enjoy this job?’ Our greatest asset is trust. We have worked hard to earn that trust with our customers to this day.” BGL Nakliyat is also leading the way in the use of Schmitz Cargobull’s TrailerConnect® telematics solution. Kocaman emphasises that it enhances service quality and further strengthens customer trust.

Ever since Schmitz Cargobull began offering its own refrigeration units, BGL Nakliyat has been ordering its box semi-trailers fitted with these units. Kocaman says he is very satisfied with the vehicles. Two to three years ago, on the recommendation of the relevant regional sales manager, the company tested the TrailerConnect telematics and fleet management system for the first time. The results were convincing. Today, BGL Nakliyat uses the system in all Schmitz Cargobull trailers fitted with refrigeration units.

Whilst the company’s 20 refrigerated trailers transport frozen and fresh goods between Turkey, Western Europe and the South Caucasus, the company tracks their position, the internal temperature and the status of the rear doors in real time from its head office via TrailerConnect. The system also provides data on the electronic braking system, tyre pressure and axle load distribution.

If necessary, Kocaman adjusts the internal temperature remotely or switches the refrigeration unit on and off. The company owner describes the greatest benefit as follows: “What matters most to our customers is the temperature at which the load is transported from loading to unloading – and this must be maintained continuously. We transport highly perishable goods: frozen food, fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. Customers are very strict about ensuring the cold chain is maintained. They will not accept frozen goods if the temperature rises above minus 15 degrees. Once the cold chain is broken, there’s no going back.”

Thanks to TrailerConnect, the haulage company can provide its customers with a report on the internal temperature at any time, either digitally from head office or via the printer on the refrigeration unit operated by the driver. This gives the customer certainty, upon receipt of the goods, that the cold chain has been maintained. “Should the cold chain ever be broken for any other reason, we can prove that the fault did not lie with us,” explains Kocaman. “This helps us avoid financial losses and damage to our reputation.”

This sort of thing has certainly happened before, says Kocaman. “A customer reported at the goods reception desk that the cold chain had been broken for some of the goods, and demanded that we contact our insurer. We submitted our report and demonstrated that the cold chain had remained intact during transport. It ultimately transpired that the goods had not been pre-cooled correctly at the point of loading. Without this report, we would have been held liable and suffered considerable financial loss and damage to our reputation.”

The same applies to medicines that are transported at above-zero temperatures. In such cases, the internal temperature must not fall, to ensure that the medicines are not damaged. Complete monitoring and documentation of the cold chain is now so essential that “some customers will not even pay until we provide them with this report”, says Kocaman.

The highly detailed temperature report boosts the confidence of existing customers. It also gives BGL Nakliyat an advantage when negotiating with new customers. The company provides some customers with a special access code for the vehicle carrying their load. They then track the trailer themselves.

Kocaman describes further advantages of TrailerConnect as follows: “During breaks, our drivers can check the refrigeration unit. However, if the unit fails or switches off whilst driving, the driver won’t notice. They can neither see nor hear it from the cab of the tractor unit.” In the event of a fault or shutdown, a warning immediately appears on the screen at the control centre and a call is made straight away to the driver, who can then pull over and check the unit. Often, the driver can rectify the fault themselves, for example by restarting the unit. If the problem is beyond their capabilities, BGL Nakliyat contacts the service team. “This is how we prevent the cold chain from being broken and the load from spoiling,” summarises Kocaman.

Monitoring tyre pressure is also very important to Kocaman. If a tyre on the trailer loses air, the driver may not notice. Eventually, a brand-new tyre bursts. The vehicle breaks down on the road, resulting in financial loss. “With TrailerConnect, we alert the driver in good time and prevent that from happening,” says Kocaman.

Another advantage of the system is the monitoring of axle loads. If the weight on an axle exceeds the legal limit, the driver receives a warning message. He can then redistribute the load correctly before facing the risk of a fine. “In some of our vehicles, a warning also appears on the screen as soon as the rear doors open. We then call the driver immediately, which helps us prevent theft,” says Kocaman.

Abdulkadir Kocaman is very satisfied not only with the TrailerConnect telematics system, but also with the Schmitz Cargobull trailers and the service. “The vehicles impress with their robustness, performance and efficiency. We can keep the trailers on the road for many years. As they show hardly any signs of wear and tear, we can then sell them on the second-hand market without any problems. It’s just as important that the load compartment maintains the temperature in all weathers. If the insulation is poor, the internal temperature won’t remain stable, no matter how much cold air the refrigeration unit blows. When it comes to insulation, Schmitz Cargobull is unrivalled and extremely impressive. However, the after-sales service is just as important to us as the product itself. Schmitz Cargobull has a well-developed service network and stands behind its product right through to the end of its service life.”

The roots of the family-run business BGL Nakliyat date back to the 1960s. Originally based in the Hatay region near the Syrian border, the company entered the refrigerated transport sector in the 1990s. Due to the transport routes it served, the family and the company moved from the south to the north-east of Turkey just under 15 years ago. In 2012, BGL Nakliyat began operations in Trabzon.

Today, the fleet comprises 20 of the company’s own Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated trailers and 20 tractor units. The company uses these to transport frozen and fresh produce from Turkey to Europe. On the return journey, it handles shipments from Gebrüder Weiss to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. The company is managed by Abdulkadir Kocaman, who has taken over the reins from older family members.

Eight of the 20 trailers are fitted with the Schmitz Cargobull S.CU refrigeration unit. BGL Nakliyat uses the TrailerConnect telematics solution in these eight vehicles. In future, the company also intends to replace the remaining trailers with ones fitted with Schmitz Cargobull refrigeration units. The aim is to monitor and control the entire fleet using TrailerConnect.

As well as temperature-controlled transport, BGL Nakliyat also offers transport services for goods that do not require refrigeration. The company uses ten hired tarpaulin-covered lorries for this purpose.